


Where The Road Left Us

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [238]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Boys In Love, Collars, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Stephen Strange, M/M, Protective Tony Stark, Whumptober, not the fun kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Stephen closed his eyes against the gentle sound of the engine, head resting uncomfortably against the smooth metal of the dark van. There was hardly any light back here, clearly an attempt at disorientation through sensory deprivation. Archaic and pathetic tactics to be certain, along with their grand idea to tie up a man with broken hands.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [238]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1118655
Comments: 8
Kudos: 107
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Where The Road Left Us

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Collars

Stephen closed his eyes against the gentle sound of the engine, head resting uncomfortably against the smooth metal of the dark van. There was hardly any light back here, clearly an attempt at disorientation through sensory deprivation. Archaic and pathetic tactics to be certain, along with their grand idea to tie up a man with broken hands.

He was no threat to them, not anymore. Swallowing thickly, he winced at the sensation of the metal collar fastened firmly around his throat. It was too tight, something that was most assuredly on purpose, and cast a slight greenish glow from the powerbar on the side.

The road had grown increasingly bumpy, prompting Stephen to think they were well on their way out the city and more likely…toward a none descript base somewhere that even the powerful satellites of Tony Stark couldn’t locate.

Tony.

Stinging eyes made him grimace, the betrayal like a bullet in his gut. He was tempted, if only slightly, to reach up and trace the small shape engraved in the collar, the one marking it as the design and property of Tony Stark. There was a part of him…the analytical part that refused to acknowledge the heartbreak, that understood. The man was, above all, paranoid of all threats, of all things he wasn’t quite able to understand and this, this right here, in the back of a dark van and shocked brown eyes, was what it had gotten them.

Of course, it was so much worse to realize that, even after all this time, Tony hadn’t been able to trust him, and if he didn’t trust him, how could he have ever loved him? Stephen had been a fool and that stung but at least they hadn’t gotten everything from him.

This was Shield’s doing, he knew that, had seen them pushing their pieces around, eyeing the power of Kamar-Taj and the Stone Stephen refused to surrender. They might have gotten him, but that was all they’d gotten.

Absently, Stephen raised his tied hands and pressed trembling fingers to his chest, felt the bump beneath his clothes and exhaled sharply, expression twisting with discomfort of memory. He and Tony had been decidedly too old for childish fancies like promise rings…all the same Tony had made him a band of metal, one that hung on a delicate gold chain, where it wouldn’t affect his magic.

Stephen had been overwhelmed. There were many problems they faced in the early days, in the aftermath of Thanos. Nightmares and trauma and stuttering explanations of their past and what they wanted of a future…if they found they could have one. Stephen had been hopeful, had found a special kind of security in the love they shared, an understanding that their time was temporary, and the world came first. An understanding that in the aftermath they had each other.

Still, nothing had prepared him for this. Death he had expected, perhaps waking up one day to find the other missing for any number of reasons…but this. This.

He had just come to the decision to stop his wallowing when the van stopped abruptly, the force of it making him lurch to the side with a grunt, and then slide painfully to the floor, unable to right himself with his hands bound. Squinting in the darkness, he tried to make out a sound, some indication that they had arrived at whatever destination they’d been headed to. There was nothing for a long moment, not even the opening and closing of doors, let alone the sound of gruff voices he’d come to expect.

The unnerving silence was broken abruptly by the sound of gunfire.

Stephen’s jaw clenched as he tried to right himself, staring wearily at the doors of the van even though the gunfire was coming from the drivers, the guards. If this was a rescue mission from Kamar-Taj, they wouldn’t have even known Stephen was gone…not yet anyway, which meant this was something else and frankly, there were no good options.

The gunfire fell silent and Stephen felt utterly unprepared, helpless in a way he hadn’t experienced since his crash and before finding the Ancient One. He stood stiffly in the middle of the van, painfully aware of the metal clamped around his neck and his inability to reach inside himself and draw out the magic he’d been taught was an unmovable part of him.

A loud creaking and groaning came from the doors and Stephen found himself blinking rapidly in the bright sun as they were yanked open with inhuman force. Of course, the one who’d done it was very human, painfully, tragically, stupidly human.

Ironman stood in front of him.

Stephen wondered what he’d done to deserve this.

The suit melted away at record speed until it was just Tony looking at him with his expression twisted into something too heart-wrenching for Stephen to acknowledge. For a long moment they just looked at each other, this small space having stretched into an insurmountable chasm since they last saw each other.

Leave it to Tony to take the first jump.

He climbed into the van and walked right up to him; his usually warm brown eyes tortured as they took in his stoic expression. Stephen’s heart was breaking but he didn’t have the words to punish the man for what he had done.

Tony swallowed thickly, “are you alright?”

Looking at him, Stephen felt his will crumble, “no.”

The man he loved nodded, unsurprised and knowing him well enough to tell Stephen did not mean his physical well-being. Reaching out with hesitant fingers, Stephen felt himself stiffen, saw Tony retreat before shaking his head, “can I take that off of you?”

There was nothing he wanted more but there was something fragile about them, about every word that was spoken, as though the rhythm was off and they couldn’t find their way back to it, back to each other, “yes.”

Fingers slid along the collar, their warmth sliding along Stephen’s skin and sending shivers down his spine, even as he closed his eyes. There was a moment, a sudden, momentary squeeze and then the metal was being unclamped from around his throat.

Stephen inhaled deeply, eyes falling closed with relief as he tasted freedom and stretched his neck from side to side. He didn’t even notice when Tony had cut the ties around his wrists until familiar calloused hands held him in his own, massaging his aching limbs.

Tony did not look at him.

Stephen stared.

“I’m sorry.”

It was not enough and they both know it.

“I designed the collars, but I never built them, I never wanted to, and it was never meant to be for you or Wong or-” he cut himself off.

Stephen clenched his jaw.

“I didn’t want this to happen. The plans were stolen, I didn’t know until they took you and then…I’m going to make this right Stephen.”

Tony finally looked up and this time his eyes were aching with sincerity, pleading with Stephen just to let him try, to do right by him. He knew what to say, he knew he should walk out of this van, through a portal and never look back. He should do it for both of their sakes.

Instead he thought of all the helpless leaps of faith they’d made for each other up until this moment. He thought about the futures he gambled on this man right here, lives he’d sacrificed betting on Tony Stark just being a good man.

He was asking for just one more.

Stephen found himself gripping Tony’s hands right back and levelling him with a weary look, “then we better get to it.”

The look in his eyes was something like salvation.


End file.
